Flatlay With Hello Miss May : Part 2

Flatlays with Hello Miss May. Think of white table top and natural lighting. Photo Credit : May Leong

Welcome to Part 2 of my mini tutorial on how to create pretty flatlays. A quick recap before we start getting creative.

We've spoken about :

1/ Surfaces    2/ Natural Lighting    3/ Shadows    4/ Objects    5/ Camera

Once you've got all of these factors right, the rest is easy breezy. 

Have these in mind when doing a flatlay:

1/ PLAY

Just have fun and play with the objects that you have. Just see what it would looks like if you were to move that tea cup from the bottom left to the center part of the flatlay. Get creative and experiment.

2/ SPACING

Have you heard of positive elements and negative spacing? It's finding a balance between those two, by creating a composition that no one area is overpowering another.

e.g. My tea cup could be off center on the bottom left, but it is well balanced with peonies and orchids covering the rest of the surface.

3/ SHOOT FROM THE CENTER

I get people asking how did you do it? It's really that simple. Put your camera in the center of the flatlay, and slowly move above from center point till you get an overview of the flatlay.

Think of it as a focal point without a tripod :)

4/ MULTIPLE SHOTS

We live in the digital age where we can shoot a million shots if we want to. And I'd highly recommend that! Keep shooting multiple shots, in case the other image was a blur or it was off center.

5/ BE OPEN MINDED

Try not to think of sticking to one flatlay style. Try as many variations as you can with flatlays. The more you discover, the better you'll become. Before you know it, you can do it in a matter of minutes!

In my case, when I create flatlays, I don't have a set mind of what the 'end' is going to look like. I'm always excited to see new layouts I can create with my flowers and tea cup. They never ceased to surprise me!

..................................................

And that's pretty much it for today! Thanks for popping by hehe.

For another overview with what I did with @flatlayforever, you can visit the link here :)

Have a fab day all!

x

m

Chia Seed Pudding + Green Smoothie Recipe

Beautiful Chia Seed Pudding + Green Smoothie by Hello Miss May. Photo Credit : May Leong

Yum yum yum.

Easy step-by-step to recreate this beautiful green smoothie with Hello Miss May. Photo Credit : May Leong

High Tea at Shangri-La Sydney

High Tea at Shangri-La Sydney. Photo Credit : May Leong + Priscilla Barbosa

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

Miss May holidaying with hubby, Leon Korobacz at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is a place to relax and dream away. I love how close it is to KLCC Twin Towers and Pavillion. Just 9 minutes walk away!

It was a wow factor when I arrived to the lobby on Level 36. It's a 360 degree walk up there. For all guests to view the cityscape of Kuala Lumpur.

I look forward to waking up every morning to the Twin Towers view. And I must say, I'm a HUGE fan ofthe breakfast buffet. I simply love good food, and I tried everything from local street food, nasi lemak and roti canai to Middle Eastern dips (mmm, that Baba Ganoush) to waffles and pancakes. And of course, there's always English Breakfast with sunny side up eggs and sausages.

The Grand Hyatt breakfast were all yum! The fruit counter was always busy, with beautifully sliced fresh tropical fruits on the platter. And I could not get enough of the fresh fruit juices (especially mango lassi).

Our room was gorgeous. Loving the King size bed with the full view of KLCC Twin Towers. We felt very much at home, as the layout of our spacious Grand Hyatt room feels like an apartment.

And there is no reason to leave Grand Hyatt really, as there is a big pool, a spa, a sauna and a steamer room to just chill in. I could stay here forever!

Thank you for the great hospitality, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Looking forward to the next one!

x

o

m

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

12, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

International Friendship Day

Photo Credit : Leon Korobacz

It's International Friendship Day! And I'm missing this bestie of mine :)

How do you celebrate a special day like this? I'm thinking of all the fun and cute gifts I am getting for my close friends. Etsy has always been my favourite place to shop online. Being a maker and designer myself, it's really important for me to give back to the community and support small business, hehe.

Here's what I love. This is a flatlay I've made, an oldie but a goldie, hehe.

Below, are a list of makers and shakers with direct links to their websites. 

Have a fab day, all!

xm

BROOCHES AND PINS 
1. Unicorn + fox + girl with a bun wooden brooches // bacon & eggs + sausage dog + cactus lapel pins Hello Miss May 
4. Donkey wooden brooch Little Brown Dog 
5. White Kitten lapel pin Surfing Sloth

BANGLES 
1. Resin with rose gold, silver and gold foil Sly Pony Studio 
2. Pom Pom bangle Love Astrid

CERAMICS
1. Milky Way coffee cup La Petite Fabrique De Brunswick 
2. Cloud + Heart + Polka Dot trinket Urban Cartel 
3. Mini Cat Vase Gail CC

OTHER CUTE THINGS 
1. Ice Cream Van dish Mima Workshop 
2. Wooden Camera Brainbow 

Christmas in July

Photo Credit : May Leong

It's July and baby, it's cold out here (in Sydney, of course). I reckon everyone else in the Northern Hemisphere is having a wonderful summer's day and I'm so jelly right now.

Anyways, I am excited to share my favourite makers + shakers from Etsy. If you're running out of ideas of what to shop this month in July, head over to Etsy for more fun and unique gift ideas.

Here's my quick guide to my all time favourite Etsy makers :)

1. Cutest Kablooie cat skirt by the lovely Brissie maker, Kaneena Fanning.

2. The softest and prettiest Merino Wool throw you'll ever own. Snuggle up with Ohhio chunky blanket. It makes me a very happy girl (The large knitted white throw on top right)

3. Gorgeous white and blue porcelain plate by Melbourne based maker, Lucile Sciallano of La Petite Fabrique De Brunswick . (As seen in the image with chocolates and pink meringue)

Have a fab day, all!

xm

Traders Hotel

Photo Credit : Leon Korobacz

Oh, what a view! Leon- aka @hungrysydneysiders- and I had our mini honeymoon at Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. The room we had boasted an awesome view of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Traders is located in the heart of KL situated on the fringe of KLCC park within walking distance of Bukit Bintang bars, restaurants and KL's top shopping malls.

We were  treated to club status and received the 'Club' perks at Traders Hotel which we love! There are complimentary high tea and cocktails in the lounge with more great views to offer.

My favourite has got to be our dinner date at Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill by the new kid on the block, Chef Mun. Scroll down to the next blog post to read all about our 4 course degustation.

Photo Credit : May Leong

Breakfast buffet at Traders Hotel was really yum. There was a wide variety of food to choose from - local Malaysian cuisine, Lebanese dips, English breakfast, salad and pastries.

We had an amazing time at Traders. And we will never forget that gorgeous view of KLCC Twin Towers!

Have a fab weekend folks!

x

m

Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia